The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-15
MR.. cOopER's SETTLEMENT.

Mr.. CO0PER'S SETTLEMENT
The Sentinel makes great display of the re-
ceipt of Mr.. Lemcke, Treasurer of State, to
Mr. Cooper, exTreasurer, printing it twice, at
the head of its editorial page and also at the
head of its local page. The receipt undoubt-
eddy states the facts. It states that, on the
10th inst, Mr.. Cooper paid to his successor in
office 1886, 1922, the 10th being the day On
which he turned the office over to Mr.. Lemcke;
and that, ON the next day, he paid to Mr..
Lemcke $35, 900, which two sums made the
amount chargeable to Mr.. Cooper, as shown
by the books of the Auditor of State. This
receipt, upon its face, shows that Mr.. Cooper
failed to pay over to his successor, on the day
he should have done so, the sum of $35, O0O
and Mr.. Cooper was, therefore short in his
cash just that sum that day.
In addition to this Mr.. Cooper is inter
viewed in yesterdays Sentinel, and, if he is
correctly reported, makes even stronger case
against himself than tine Journal has at any
time charged. The Sentinels interview says:
Referring to the receipt, a reporter yes
terday asked the ex-Treasurer why the item
of $35, 900 was mentioned separately liz the
settlement. and he replied:
"'It occurred in this way. The sum of
$50, 900 was coming to me from out Of town,
aud it had not arrived on Wednesday, when
Mr.. Lemcke and I met to have our settlement.
l spoke of the unexpected delay, and offered
to go to bank and get the money, but Mr..
Lencke very generously remarked that there
was no hurry. that he could wait until the
next day, or for two or three days, il neces-
| sary. Consequently, we spent that day in
perfecting the details of the settlement The
money / was looking for came at noon the fol-
lowing day, and turned it over to him at
once and received a receipt in full
'1 regretnow, continued Mr. Cooper, that
| did not go to bank and borrow the $35, 900,
even if it cost me S., 900 unnecessary ex-
pense. Mr.. Jno. G. New was present when
the conversation took place with regard to the
one days delay, and heard Mr.. Lemcke's sug-
gestion, and this makes the Journals unfair
attack all the more surprising. l cannot
believe that Mr.. New authorized the publica-
ton"
Here Mr.. Cooper says the sum which he
was short-to-wit, $50, 0O0-was coming to
him '.from out of town" How was the money
treasury was not out of town. The State
treasury was and is In town. If the money
was "out of town." then the money was not
in the State treasury, where, by law, it should
have been. The truth is that Mr.. Cooper had
loaned Mr.. Franklin Landers or Landers and
others, $35, 900, and Mr. Cooper did not settle
with his successor until Mr. Landers borrowed
the money to make good this identical $50, 900
that he was short on the 10th inst, when he
| turned the office over to his successor. Mr..
Landers stated that he relied upon borrowing
the money from the Northwestern Mutual
Life Insurance Company, of Milwaukee, on a
mortgage upon his Morgan county farms, to
make the payment to Mr.. Cooper The loan
| not. being perfected, Mr. Landers borrowed
the money of three banks in this city-of two
| $4,000 each, of another $15, 00O-to make
good Mr.. Cooper's shortage, and certificates Of
deposit were given to Mr. Lemcke by Mr..
Landers On these several banks on the evening
of the next day after Mr.. Cooper went out Of
Office
The Juggling Of Mr.. News name into ths
interview is entirely gratuitous The fact is,
Mr.. New was informed on the day Mr.. Cooper
went out Of Office Of the above facts, and was
requested not to say anything in the Journa
of the failure to pay in full on that day
because of the promises to make up the
amount the next day. He did not, and after
the payment had been made probably would
not have said anything but for the charges
and clustering of the Sentinel Mr.. Cooper
may we'll exclaim, ''Save me from my friends.
There are other matters in connection with The
management of the State Treasury that would
make very interesting reading and their pub
LEGATION will depend upon the course Mr.
Cooper and Mr.. Cooper's organ, the Sentinel
may choose to take in the future in regard t,
this matter.